The Blood Shed To Save
by SharinganAnbuSakura
Summary: The destinies of the Uchiha brothers and Haruno Sakura were intertwined together when Sakura ended up with the choices of saving them both from the darkness or allowing them to fall into oblivion... Full Summary Inside. Pairings: ItaSakuSasu
1. Prologue

**The Blood Shed To Save**

**Full Summary: The destinies of Uchiha Itachi, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke were intertwined together when Sakura ended up with the choices of choosing between saving both of them from the darkness or letting them fall into oblivion to rid the world of their existences for what pain they had caused. When one last battle between the two brothers begins, will she allow her own blood to be shed to save them?**

**Main Pairings: Eventual ItaSaku and Eventual SasuSaku**

**Hope everyone enjoys this story! Maybe, this will turn out okay. :)**

* * *

**Prologue**

Lightning flashed across the darkened sky, over the vast range of forest in unclaimed territory. Thunder soon followed, rumbling loud enough to deafen. The rain drenched everything in the environment, including several shinobi dwelling in the open clearing, in the middle of the wooded area.

They talked in soft tones as they ignored the rain dripping freely down their faces. One kunoichi watched in silence, sitting calmly on the soaked ground, as the two brothers talked several meters away from each other. This was a rare moment. A moment of peace.

There was no violence about to occur in this territory, or at least, not today.

"Has the date been decided then?" The pink-haired woman asked, her voice void of emotion. Several minutes passed in silence as she awaited her answer patiently. Glancing towards the older brother briefly, she observed his impassive face before allowing her gaze to drift to the younger sibling, noticing nothing but the same.

Her inquiring gaze caught his crimson eyes, exchanging several unspoken words. Before she could look away, the older sibling spoke in his deep, velvety voice, "Haruno-san, I must ask you to remain silent during this time." The kunoichi said nothing, only watched him through narrowed eyes. He merely glanced at her with a look of indifference before turning to his younger brother.

"I would appreciate it if you kept your thoughts to yourself, Itachi-san." She replied dryly, closing her eyes to both of the brothers. Their decision would not affect her whatsoever, but she was simply curious. The pink-haired kunoichi knew, at least, she wouldn't be the only one attending the event about to occur.

A few more minutes passed, the murmurs between them seemed to finally cease. Haruno Sakura opened her emerald eyes, observing the tension-filled silence surrounding them.

Itachi stepped back a few paces, nodding slightly. "Very well, little brother." Sasuke said nothing, his impassive crimson eyes gazing evenly into Itachi's.

Sakura stood up silently, soundlessly joining them. Her teammate turned away from Itachi, walking slowly away into the deeper regions of the forest.

The pink-haired medical nin glanced at Itachi through half-lidded eyes, noticing him still watching where Sasuke had disappeared. After a few moments, the Sharingan wielder acknowledged her presence as his gaze drifted towards hers. "When will this event occur?" Sakura murmured softly. Itachi said nothing for about a minute until he finally answered in his own equally soft, muted voice.

"A month." Sakura merely nodded before bowing politely towards him. "Until then, Uchiha-san." Itachi didn't reply to her farewell, only closed his eyes to her in a silent dismissal.

Sakura started towards Sasuke's distant chakra signature, weaving through the trees into the darkness. Before she completely disappeared, she glanced back at where the meeting had been taken place. The older Uchiha brother was already gone. Turning back around, she couldn't help sighing softly.

There was no escaping the fact that this was the beginning of the end. Only one could win this last battle, ending the war between the two brothers, while the other would fall into the darkness of oblivion.

Sakura lingered on the thought before letting it completely disappear into the farthest corner of her mind. It wouldn't matter; it was simply something that was bound to happen. Without another thought on the subject, Sakura gradually picked up her pace until she was racing after Sasuke.

There was only one month left, and Sakura knew that no one would be wasting time now.

* * *

**I actually liked that prologue! :) It took me a while to think about it, but I have a great feeling about this story now. Sorry if it's really short, but I think it was alright after all.  
**

**Thanks for reading!**

**SharinganAnbuSakura**


	2. Chapter 1

**The Blood Shed To Save**

**Everyone ready for the first chapter? Well, enjoy! **

**(This is chapter was uploaded once again because my computer wouldn't allow me to see it for some strange reason.)  
**

* * *

**Chapter 1 – The Making of Plans**

"You're late."

Sakura closed the door behind her silently, entering their shared hotel room for the night. She shrugged off her tan colored raincoat, casually hanging it on a silver coat hanger close to the entryway.

"I'm here, aren't I?" Sasuke didn't reply to her question, keeping his back to her as he stared out into the stormy outside. Sakura walked near him, stopping a few feet away. She didn't say anything, allowing them to enjoy the rare silence that was seemed to always be disrupted.

Her gaze lingered on him a moment longer before she turned towards the bed, sitting down to take off her sandals. Sakura sighed softly as she slowly crawled onto the bed, letting her head hit the soft, feathery pillow. She faced the wall opposite of the window, closing her eyes. Unfortunately, though she tried to drift into the comfortable darkness of sleep, it would not come.

"Sasuke?" Sakura turned towards him, her emerald eyes opening. He said nothing, but he slightly turned his head to show her she had his attention. "Who will win this battle?" Her voice softened as each word was spoken, knowing this rude question could very well decide her fate now. Sasuke's body tensed as he turned towards her with his cold gaze.

"We shall see, Sakura." The pink-haired medical nin narrowed her eyes on the young Uchiha.

"You just won't admit that there is a possibility of failure." Sakura argued, her voice cool and composed. Sasuke merely blinked at her.

"I know fully well what my chances are." He simply replied, showing no emotion whatsoever. Sakura glared at him for the answer.

Before Sakura could react quickly enough, Sasuke held a kunai to her neck. "You obviously don't know your own chances." Sakura said nothing to him. They stayed in the same position a moment longer before Sasuke slowly withdrew the kunai. Glancing at her once, he moved over to the other side of the bed where he turned away from her.

Sakura placed her hand lightly against her neck, unable to feel any blood. Narrowing her eyes on him, Sakura turned away from him as well, putting as much distance between them as possible.

"Of all people to look after, Sasuke, _you_." Sakura whispered in a soft, muted voice.

"It was your choice." Sasuke murmured, his eyes shifting from crimson to dark blue.

…

…

…

"…Yeah."

* * *

By early dawn, Sakura and Sasuke had already set out to their next destination, the Sound Village. Most of the journey was traveled in silence, barely speaking to one another as the rain continued to pour on them. Sakura actually felt relief when they reached the border of Sound, seeing the familiar guards patrolling the area.

The guards merely nodded to them, already knowing exactly who they were. Sasuke did nothing to acknowledge them as he walked past them. Sakura was different, nodding back to them with her impassive gaze meeting theirs. Without another glance, they continued through the clustered trees on a barely visible trail leading to the village.

Walking through the strong, high walls of the hidden village, Sakura followed behind Sasuke towards Orochimaru's lair. As they descended the stairs leading into the underground headquarters, she wrinkled her nose at the smell of decaying bodies of the Sanin's experiments. Her eyes kept focused on Sasuke's back, trying her best to ignore the crying, begging prisoners in the cages as they reached towards them through the iron bars holding them in. When Sakura reached the end of the hallway, past the prisoners, she was comforted by the fact that she was almost home as she exhaled a held-in breath.

Sasuke led her towards the Orochimaru's throne room after going through a series of long, seemingly endless hallways. As they approached, the giant doors—their handles carved into snakes—slowly creaked open. Torches on stone pillars leading farther into the room soon dimly lighted the darkness that awaited them.

Sasuke glanced towards Sakura, nodding once before he began walking. Sakura tried her best to relax as she patiently waited for her teammate to return. She had always hated waiting outside, never being able to meet with Orochimaru-sama. It was uncomfortable, knowing that Kabuto was probably watching her in the darkness just incase she did anything to disobey orders.

After waiting a few minutes, she heard soft footsteps approaching her from behind. She turned her head slightly, glancing warily in that direction. Her eyes narrowed when her fellow medical nin, Kabuto, appeared from the darkness of the hallway.

"Hello, Sakura-chan…" He smirked, casually folding his arms against his chest. Sakura said nothing to him, as he grew closer. "Are you ready for your daily training?" Sakura thought back to waiting for Sasuke, but she knew he would be fine. She simply nodded to him as she brushed past him.

"Let's go…"

* * *

Sakura leaned against a tree outside the hideout, trying her best to catch her breath. She frowned slightly, feeling Kabuto's chakra signature nearing once again. Today's training seemed to be rougher and harsher than usual. Her muscles ached and she had already used up half of her chakra supply.

Her emerald gaze swept across her surroundings, noticing nothing but silence. Sakura used a hand to push herself up until she stood, carefully taking a kunai in hand. Kabuto was close, and he was about to strike.

Without enough time to react, Sakura felt the gray-haired man encircled an arm around her waist, placing his own kunai next to her neck. Alarmed by their position, Sakura rammed her elbow into his chest, causing his grip to loosen enough for the pink-haired kunoichi to escape. Kabuto growled lowly, quickly recovering from the blow as he raced up with a kunai.

Sakura spun around, blocking the kunai with her own, gritting her teeth together when neither of them gave way. Kabuto withdrew another kunai, attempting to stab her in the stomach with the weapon but she narrowly dodged by shifting to the side.

"Give it up, Sakura-chan." Kabuto smirked at her, finding an opening in her defenses. Sakura's eyes widened when Kabuto stepped closer, kicking her in the side with a roundhouse kick. She gasped out in surprise, falling to her knees. Returning the kunais to his weapon pouch, he walked forward as he crouched down in front of her. Kabuto smacked the kunai out of her hand, smirking as Sakura glared at him.

"No." Sakura replied, throwing a punch at his face. He effortlessly caught the punch, raising an eyebrow at her.

"You don't know when to stop, do you?"

"I won't ever stop."

Amusement flickered across Kabuto's dark eyes. "Very well." Sakura felt pain erupt in her stomach as Kabuto punched her. She coughed out blood onto the ground as her hand slipped out of his grip. He merely watched her, a sick grin displayed across his features.

Sakura struggled to stand up, ignoring the aching pain. Without warning, Sakura swept a foot under Kabuto's feet, catching him unguarded. Using her new advantage, she quickly gathered chakra into her fist. Kabuto noticed the intensity of the chakra, his eyes widening a little less than a fraction. Throwing the punch into his face, she heard the cracking of bone as Kabuto's body flew into a tree several yards away.

Kabuto slid down the tree as Sakura grew closer, examining his state from a safe distance. Blood dripped down the corner of his mouth as he glanced up at Sakura with impassive eyes. The magnitude of the pain from his injuries could possibly result in punishment and the pink-haired medical kunoichi wouldn't regret her actions. Yet, something unexpected happened.

Kabuto displayed a genuine smile as he leaned his back against the tree. Sakura stared at him, shock flashing across her emerald eyes. "Good training session." He murmured, spitting out blood onto the ground. "I expect more from you throughout the week." Sakura blinked before smirking as she slowly walked up to him, extending a hand.

Kabuto glanced at the hand, unsure of whether to take it. Within a short moment, Kabuto had grasped Sakura's hand as she pulled him up to his feet. She stepped back a few paces, nodding as the smirk began to fade away.

"Of course."

* * *

Sakura fell onto her bed, not bothering to change into clothes that were comfortable. It be truthful, she was exhausted from Kabuto's intense training. Sakura stared at the ceiling through half-lidded eyes, silently wondering if she was improving with the one-on-one spars with Kabuto. As she began to drift to sleep, she barely heard her bedroom door open.

Sakura didn't bother to open her eyes again, already knowing who it was. "What is it, Sasuke?" The door shut behind him as he walked towards the bed. He continued to watch Sakura, and she knew it.

"We leave in a week." Sakura's eyes fluttered open as she sat up, staring at Sasuke in surprise. Sasuke merely nodded slightly.

"…What for?" Sakura asked, her eyes searching his face for any emotion. She found none.

"I will be training with you and Orochimaru alone." Sakura felt her mouth open a bit in shock. Sasuke sat down on the edge of the bed, his gaze downcast on the floor. "The only reason I am bringing you, Sakura, is because you have the greatest medical skills known to the shinobi world."

"Is that a compliment?" Sakura accidentally murmured aloud her question.

"It is a fact." Sasuke turned towards her, his gaze locking onto hers. Sakura's eyes lingered on him for a moment before she glanced down at the ground. She exhaled a soft breath.

"…Understood." Sakura could feel Sasuke's crimson eyes watching her, but she said nothing more. She leaned back onto the bed, letting her head rest on the pillow as she closed her eyes once again. Soon enough, Sasuke left the room, leaving Sakura in the darkness, comforted by the sound of silence.

* * *

Orochimaru calmly sat across from Kabuto, raising an eyebrow. "What exactly are you suggesting, Kabuto?" Kabuto merely smirked at his master.

"If Itachi and Sasuke are fighting, who do you honestly think will win, Orochimaru-sama?" Orochimaru intertwined his hands together, bending his down slightly.

"Through my experiences, definitely Uchiha Itachi. Why do you ask?" Kabuto looked up from his kneeled position. His round-wired glasses flashed briefly from the torches' shining light.

"If you think about it, Orochimaru-sama, even with your training, Sasuke will lose, yet give Itachi a good enough fight to be weakened momentarily." Orochimaru nodded slowly, understanding beginning to creep into the surface of his mind. "You will need to transfer into a new vessel soon and if we act during the battle, Itachi or Sasuke would be too weakened to resist."

Orochimaru's golden eyes flickered with wicked amusement. "I will be training Sasuke before the fight, so Itachi should be more weakened than we should come to expect." Orochimaru leaned back against his chair, scratching the side of his cheek slightly. "It won't matter who will become the new vessel, as long as I have the Sharingan." Kabuto merely nodded, beginning to stand from his position.

"We leave in a week." Orochimaru bent his head in inquiry towards Kabuto's random statement. Kabuto pushed up his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose. "What will we do with Haruno Sakura as we prepare for the journey?"

"Kabuto, you will train her until we leave." Kabuto raised an eyebrow. "You will be following our trail, thus allowing Sasuke to believe nothing suspicious will occur."

"Sakura-chan will be the medic?"

"Unless you are absolutely needed." Orochimaru chuckled softly, his deep voice echoing around the room. "Sasuke-kun requested her for this mission, instead of you. I can only wonder why…" Kabuto bowed to his master for a moment, awaiting dismissal.

"Haruno Sakura will be trained for the mission. I will make sure she is ready by the time we leave." Kabuto assured him quietly, as Orochimaru waved him off. "Oh, and let's not forget, I will be ready as well to help with the new vessel."

* * *

**This chapter was very, very short as you can all see. However, the upcoming updates will be much, much longer, I can assure you. I just hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. :) Everything is falling into place as the plot starts to rev up! Yay, I haven't had a writing block on this story yet!**

**This story is not AU. Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke were in Team 7, and the original story played out until Sasuke left. There will be more details on that part later in the story though. (If anyone is interested, Sakura is only at Chuunin rank, but that, as well, will be detailed later in the story.)**

**Although this story has not been updated in a long time, more chapters are on the way! Oh, and let's not forget, a few surprises are in store for everyone soon.  
**

**Until the next chapter,**

**SharinganAnbuSakura**


	3. Chapter 2

**The Blood Shed To Save**

**Sorry it took so long to update this story! I was extremely busy with my other posted story and with my overwhelming schedule. Hopefully, this longer chapter will make up for the delay of this update!**

**Ages:**

**Sakura – 18**

**Sasuke – 18 **

**Itachi - 23**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Distractions**

_"Sakura-chan…I am so pleased that you could join us." Orochimaru's voice drifted to her ears, as he grew closer. His form still wasn't visible in the ever-present darkness surrounding them like the trees of the forest they currently dwelled within. The moon above did not provide enough light to give her a sense of direction, let alone a great visual perspective of the world in front of her. _

_Although this was not the first time she had ever met the leader of the Sound Village, Sakura's heart still held fear from their meeting in the Forest of Death during the Chuunin exams. Even if she had grown stronger over the years after Sasuke's departure, Sakura felt extremely vulnerable before the legendary Sanin. The raw power radiating all around her was enough to send chills down her spine. And yet, Sakura refused to regret her decision that she had made. _

_Her lips opened to form words, but no sound escaped her mouth. She felt numb with anxiety and fear despite the impassive, yet guarded exterior that showed. All those years of training to contain her emotions with Sai appeared to have left her mind. At the moment, not a single thing in her arsenal seemed to exist, let alone function properly enough to allow a possibility of escaping these monsters._

_If there were anything to rely on for survival, it would be the Uchiha beside her. _

_Unfortunately, that thought soon disappeared from her mind as he stepped forward to distance himself from her. Her hope for any chance of leaving this forest alive shattered instantly. _

_There was no doubt in her mind that her former teammate had changed. Any assuring thought that had previously lingered in her consciousness since his departure was gone. From here, bonds of friendship were severed, just as Naruto said it would be. _

_It appeared Sakura would be the last to lose all faith in Sasuke. _

_"From all the rumors I have heard from my informative sources, little Sakura has been growing stronger ever since she became Tsunade's apprentice." Suddenly, Orochimaru's figure dropped to the ground a few yards away. From his crouched position, she couldn't see the expression on his face. Unfortunately, as soon as he slowly began to straighten himself to stand, Sakura regretted ever wondering about what emotions were displayed upon his features._

_His lips had formed a wickedly amused smirk as he drew closer like a predator moving in for the kill. His golden snake-like eyes watched her without blinking once. _

_It was clear that she had sealed her fate to the devil himself._

_Before Sakura's mind could comprehend what happened, she found herself in Orochimaru's tight grip. Even though she started to struggle, his pale hands refused to remove themselves from her wrists. Although she knew the situation was hopeless now, Sakura desperately continued to free herself._

_"I believe we have found a new medic to assist you, Kabuto." A deep, amused chuckle sounded from behind her. To her horror, it sounded too familiar to comfort her at all. Mistakenly, Sakura's gaze drifted up, catching a glimpse of Orochimaru's captivating eyes. Instantly, everything numbed as her death vividly flashed before her eyes._

_Even though the images lasted less than a few seconds, the pink-haired kunoichi could feel several tears run down her cheeks. She hadn't felt this weak or powerless in so long. _

_Orochimaru's hands released her just as she dropped onto her knees. Her eyes stared off in the distance, completely unfocused. "Take care of her, Kabuto. I believe she cannot handle much more at the moment." _

_Sakura's body shuddered as Kabuto's hand lightly touched her neck. Everything seemed to come back to perspective as her shining emerald eyes settled on Sasuke. His apathetic expression became etched in her mind as the world began to fade to an even darker black than night itself. _

_The final image she could make out were those cold, dark eyes of her former teammate impassively watching her just as she lost the last bit of consciousness that allowed Sakura to escape the pain._

Sakura's eyes shot open as she sat up, breathing harshly. Her gaze swept across the room, searching for an unseen enemy that had been engraved into her heart and mind. She found herself in her resting quarters of the hideout; the only light source was dimly peeking under the plain wooden door on the opposite wall of her small bed.

Finally, she realized it was only a dream, or rather, a flashback of three years ago. Sakura's breathing slowed to a normal pace as she threw off the light covers onto the floor. She swung her legs until they hung off the bed, her bare feet lightly touching the cold cement. Exhaling a deep sigh, Sakura ran one hand through her long hair as she calmed down.

This wasn't the first time this had happened. Moreover, as far as she was concerned, it would probably continue to haunt her dreams until her life was over in this cruel world. Sakura's downcast gaze remained on the floor as the cold embraced her body.

In any case, she would continue to cope.

…But, even still…

Sakura placed her face in her hands as if she could find any comfort in the gesture.

_Damn you…_

_Orochimaru-sama,_

_Sasuke._

* * *

The following morning, Sakura found herself several stories above the ground, leaning against the trunk of a pine tree. Her hardened jade gaze silently observed the Sound Village from about a mile away, on the very edge of the forest. From her well-hidden, high-perched viewpoint, someone could say the small village that she supposedly called 'home' actually seemed peaceful.

Sakura felt her hands clench into fists.

Unfortunately, that statement would be utterly wrong. If a stranger or enemy were to enter the gates for the first time, they would find nothing more than despair and desperation. The citizens were practically trapped for one reason or another. Not to mention, that they would find themselves caught instantly from the hundreds of shinobi or guards that dwelled within the village. If not killed, they would probably become future tortured toys for Orochimaru's sick experiments.

As far as Sakura was concerned, she could never call this place 'home'. …Or any place, for that matter.

_That's why I ended up here…_

_…for a temporary solution._

The tree limb she stood upon shook slightly, causing Sakura to revert her gaze towards the end of the branch. Silver-hair pulled back into a ponytail and round wire-rimmed glasses caught her eye.

"If you are done brooding, we can start our training this morning." Sakura merely ignored Kabuto's light tease as she unfolded her arms before straightening herself. She reached calmly into her weapon pouch for several shuriken, her eyes never leaving Kabuto's.

"Then let's start already." Sakura murmured as she threw the weapons towards the smirking medic. He gracefully dodged them before immediately moving forward. By the time he reached her, she was already ready with a kunai in hand to as she lunged towards him.

In mere seconds, their movement became more precise and timed – although Sakura's was not as perfected as her opponent's – creating deadly accuracy of blocks and attacks. Blood had already begun to drip from open wounds. To someone not of the Sound Village, it would appear they were fighting for dominance, which of course was true, as well as their lives.

Sakura avoided his punches as she jumped back towards the trunk. However, Kabuto did not allow her a chance to recover. He moved towards her before she could react in time due to the soreness from yesterday's training session.

She flinched as one of his punches broke through her defense, landing on her stomach. The power alone was strong enough to cause her body to sway slightly. Her balance was lost for a second, even though that gave Kabuto enough opportunity to start his attacks once again.

As he prepared to deliver a roundhouse kick, Sakura smirked slightly in a bittersweet sort of way. Kabuto didn't notice it until his leg collided with her left side. His eyes widened in mild-surprise as her motionless figure fell towards the ground, several stories away.

His forehead furrowed in confusion. What had she been smirking about?

Freefalling, Sakura merely drew chakra to her hand as she grasped out for a tree branch. Fortunately enough, she had enough speed to swing up and over, so she landed a few yards above the forest floor.

Kabuto glanced down, seeing the pink-haired kunoichi still smirking from her safe position. He frowned slightly as her hands rose as if to form a hand sign. The barely audible words she murmured next were enough to cause panic in his mind.

"Activate."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the sound of an explosion reached his ears. He felt a searing pain across his back and smelled flesh burning. He stumbled forward, trying to keep his balance on the tree but failed in doing so.

Sakura exhaled a deep breath as Kabuto's body crashed into the forest floor. Wiping away the blood splattered across her face, she turned away from the sight. She knew he wasn't dead, not yet, anyways. Besides, she knew he was a well-qualified medic to heal himself. And yet, Sakura knew punishment would be in her future soon enough for that paper bomb she had secretly placed on his back during the intense combat.

Sighing softly, she glanced up towards the light gray clouds covering the range of sky above. Winter had already begun, causing the cooler temperatures and skin-chilling winds. Sakura had never enjoyed this season of the year as much as the others. Life didn't seem to exist and it actually was quite bleak, but in a way, it was gracefully and gradually changed into the beautiful season of spring. She supposed that was the one and only reason she would endure these horribly cold months, for the beauty that was created after all of it.

Sakura stood silently for a lingering moment as she stared out into the pine forest. For once, a peaceful atmosphere seemed to exist in the world. Her eyes glistened for a moment at the thought of the possibility lasting forever even thought she knew it would not ever happen.

_If I could have anything, I guess I would want a peaceful life. _

_No war, no tragedies, or grief._

_Just peace._

A hand was lightly placed on her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts. Her gaze hardened immediately and the tears that had threatened to fall, seemed to evaporate instantly. Turning her head slightly, emerald met calm midnight.

"What do you want, Sasuke?" Turning her head away as her words escaped her mouth; she brushed his hand away from her shoulder. For all she cared, Sakura did not wish to see him at the moment, or anyone for that matter.

Although her voice was harsher and colder than usual, her teammate merely chose to ignore it. His indifference did nothing to soothe her, however, as she stepped onto the very edge of the tree branch's width, towards the deeper section of the forest.

A tension-filled silence followed soon after as Sasuke stepped up beside her.

After all these years, who would have thought from the very beginning, that Sakura and Sasuke would still never really acknowledge each other? Even if they had been Team 7, Sakura felt no bond with the raven-haired Uchiha whatsoever. The only reason she had ever ended up in this place was because of her medical abilities and her stupidity. It had _nothing _to do with Sasuke, or…that's what she tried to convince herself.

Her eyes narrowed as she folded her arms against her chest.

Perhaps, it was Naruto's addicting positive attitude that had her believing everything would work out in the end. Or his strange seemingly ever-lasting hope that never ceased to amaze people, even in the dreariest situations.

_Unfortunately, the hope died too soon for all of us, Naruto._

_The dream to unite Team 7 and just live happily ever after, ne? …Just like a fairytale story in children books and bedtime stories._

"You had the dream again." His words were a definite statement, not a question.

"You have been studying me closely again." She countered, though her voice held no anger. Sasuke merely 'hn'd in reply as if to brush off her accusation.

She turned towards him slowly, resisting the temptation to sigh at his aloofness. His dark eyes seemed to hold some kind of insignificant understanding, yet she wasn't sure if it was directed towards her exactly. Knowing Sasuke, or at least, his normal behavior, the rare emotion wasn't even _related_ to her at all. To the best of her knowledge, he was probably reflecting back on the Uchiha Massacre long ago.

Ever since meeting Itachi, she could probably comprehend why his mind would be revolving around the entire ordeal. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she felt a twinge of guilt and regret.

_To be haunted for most of his life by the memories of the past, it must eat away at his mental health daily, and yet…_

_Sasuke still survives and lives on, although it is for only two purposes._

At least Sasuke could name his reasons for enduring all the burdens and grief, while as Sakura found herself trying to find one. She couldn't even remember what she had to live for all those years ago…To be a strong kunoichi? Win respect amongst her fellow teammates? Settle down with a family in a more peaceful lifestyle?

Unfortunately, those reasons did not appear as important as they were in her Genin days. To be perfectly honest, she did not care if those dreams were ever succeeded. There were no true teammates to earn her respect from. There was no desire to be a strong kunoichi, even if Yamanaka Ino had been her rival and challenged her so many times. And especially, there was _no chance _settling down with a family to raise kids and live peacefully with a husband.

Several tiny liquid droplets fell onto her face, causing her to glance heavenward. Her emerald eyes softened slightly as she realized it was just beginning to snow. For a short moment, Sakura thought it wouldn't be such a horrible season this year. Maybe the beauty of the snowflakes would distract her from the unforgiving cold.

Distract her from…

Sakura felt a chill run down her spine in an instant. The fleeting moment of hope was already fading away, and yet, she couldn't grasp it once again.

…the battle between the last remaining descendants of the Uchiha Clan.

* * *

Sasuke noticed the dimly shining light fade from Sakura's eyes. They had darkened within seconds as if she was thinking of some foreboding matter. He pondered the idea for a few seconds, before understanding struck him clearly.

"…You will continue your training later today after Kabuto has recovered." Sakura blinked as if to rid her thoughts, yet the darkness remained within the emerald orbs. The sound of his voice was more distant and cold, but there was no frustration and anger. His sudden change in attitude was noticed, but still, Sakura said nothing and instead, merely nodded to obey the order.

Sasuke jumped down onto the forest floor, ignoring the snowflakes that stuck to his face and his black winter cloak. The sound of his pink-haired medic's feet landing on the ground behind him reached his ears as she followed him towards Kabuto's bleeding body.

His mind wavered slightly as he slowly made his way towards the silver-haired man several yards away. He supposed that he hadn't been obsessing over the same matter that had crossed Sakura's mind as much as he thought he would. After all, it was his life-goal, wasn't it?

To be quite honest, Sasuke hadn't expected this battle to occur so soon. Although it was unanticipated, he immediately sprang for the opportunity. At first, he thought it was some kind of sick prank for someone to watch his bloodlust grow or his mind to reel with unanswerable questions. Unfortunately, yet fortunately, it was the real thing. Yet, for once in Sasuke's life, he felt a strange feeling grow that he couldn't identify.

…It was so unfamiliar and he received an ominous chill every time it awakened.

_Sakura silently observed his reaction as he read the letter in his hands. Every so often, the letter would shake slightly in his hands. Although he felt her questioning eyes on him, he ignored his former teammate. It didn't concern her; it didn't concern _anyone_._

_**"Dear little brother,**_

_**I believe we have an unsolved dispute awaiting a solution."**_

_Sasuke stared at the first two lines. There was no possible way Itachi would have sent him this message. His older brother had even said that he was not interested in Sasuke in any way. So…why now, of all times?_

_**"Perhaps, now is the time to finish our matter of business. The only thing I request from you in the following proposal is your attendance."**_

_Her eyes were now burning holes into his head. She was definitely watching him, no doubt. She was curious, as all humans naturally were, but Sakura's was a strange kind of curiousity. Sasuke had never really witnessed it before, but now it finally made sense._

_The pink-haired medic was studying his reactions for one purpose only. Although she always hid her emotions away from him – which made her unreadable at most times –, the puzzling question behind the curiousity was answered without her own knowing consent. Why…why hadn't it been obvious?_

_After all these years, Haruno Sakura must've wondered how he would lead his life. It was clear that ever since they had become teammates long ago, the question _had _to plague her mind. It didn't seem she was worried even if she had once held love for him, just curious. _

_She probably was expecting him to act on impulse and fall into some sort of trap. She probably was expecting him to die in battle with defeat and regret shining in his crimson eyes before they glazed over. She probably—_

_"Sasuke." His thoughts halted as he glanced up at her impassive expression. There was no sick type of curiousity shining in those emerald eyes. It was just…Sakura. For a brief moment, he was reminded of the weak, annoying teammate that used to obsess over him, but the image soon faded. That Sakura did not exist, and this new figure beside him held new motives as well as ideals._

_She was simply…Sakura._

_"Finish up before Itachi changes his mind." Sasuke blinked in mild surprise at her words. There were no comforting words or gestures. It was a mere statement, perhaps, to motivate him. In other words, she _was _in a way, supporting him, but only by encouraging him to finish his goal. It nothing more than that. _

_And yet, by those words, she was indirectly insisting that they leave immediately._

_He read the last view lines quickly, but still drawing in every detail. _

_**"We meet in the unclaimed territory about a hundred-and-thirty miles west of the Sound Village. The clearing will be in the middle of the forest area just south of the mountains."**_

_Sasuke crumbled the piece of paper up in his hands, before burning it to ashes with his fire jutsu. He glanced up at Sakura, their gazes locking for a short moment. _

_**"I expect to see you there."**_

* * *

**There you have it, guys! Please don't be too mad at me for leaving you with a cliffhanger, but I'm sure next chapter will actually make you glad I ended it there! The plotline is now beginning to unfold…or have you noticed? :) This chapter contained a few key parts that will definitely be important later in the story. **

**Next chapter, expect to meet a few surprises along the way. We may get a better perspective on Sasuke's thoughts of the upcoming battle as well. We already have his thoughts on Sakura and his 'feelings' for the upcoming battle. We also may see a short flashback or two, but I'm not telling of what. **

**Oh, and if any of you are interested, I have posted a poll on my profile page. …Let's just say I've been considering a sequel for a certain story, or something of the sort. :)**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! This was certainly fun to type up.**

**Until the next update,**

**SharinganAnbuSakura**


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